(SportsNetwork.com) – With just two games left, the Edmonton Oilers can
probably already consider this homestand a success.
The Oilers try to extend their four-game winning streak on Wednesday night as
they play host to the Nashville Predators.
Edmonton suffered a 2-0 loss to Vancouver on Oct. 17 to begin this seven-game
homestand, with the setback to the Canucks dropping the Oilers to 0-4-1 on the
season.
They haven’t lost since, picking up home wins over Tampa Bay, Washington,
Carolina and Montreal to record their longest winning streak since claiming
five straight from March 26-April 3, 2012.
The common theme for the Oilers has been wins over the Eastern Conference as
their season-opening five-game skid came against meetings with clubs in the
West.
Edmonton made it 4-for-4 against the East with Monday’s 3-0 triumph over the
Canadiens. Ben Scrivens made 29 saves for his first shutout of the season, and
he has been in net for each game during this win streak.
“I thought the guys in front of me did a great job,” said Scrivens, who have
seven career shutouts. “Lot of big blocks for us. I thought they did really
well clearing pucks.”
Scrivens’ effort came on the same day he was named the NHL’s Second Star for
the week after going 3-0-0 with a 2.33 goals against average and .920 save
percentage the previous week.
Benoit Pouliot scored his first goal as an Oiler and assisted on Nail
Yakupov’s tally, while Taylor Hall added a empty-netter late in regulation to
down the Habs.
Edmonton’s sixth game of its residency will be a special one for rookie Leon
Draisaitl. The third overall pick of the most recent draft is slated to play
in his 10th game of the campaign, which would activate the first season of his
entry-level deal and mean he will likely stick with the Oilers for the rest of
the campaign.
Draisaitl has a goal and two assists in nine games.
Scrivens should get the start in net tonight and is 1-2-0 with a 2.37 GAA and
.920 save percentage in three lifetime meetings with the Predators.
Nashville begins a six-game road trip tonight coming off its first regulation
loss of the season. The Preds opened up 5-0-2, but were blanked by the
Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 on Saturday.
Pekka Rinne allowed all three goals on 26 shots for Nashville, which had won
two straight, netting six non-shootout goals over that span.
The Predators, though, had just 12 shots through two periods on Saturday.
“Their backs were tight and their back checks were good,” Nashville head coach
Peter Laviolette said of Pittsburgh.
James Neal had two shots on net against his former club. Nashville got Neal in
a trade with Pittsburgh during the offseason for forwards Patric Hornqvist and
Nick Spaling.
The Predators will have forward Matt Cullen available tonight as he practiced
on Monday. He has not played since suffering an upper-body injury on Sept. 24
during the preseason.
The Preds have lost three straight and nine of their last 13 versus the
Oilers, who have claimed three in a row and five of the last six meetings in
Edmonton.
Rinne is 9-6-1 with a 3.00 GAA and .889 save percentage in 19 games (18
starts) versus the Oilers.
